Dina Titus Fundraising Event in LA

On Wednesday, August 19, 2009, Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV03) held a fundraising event and discussion of current political issues in Beverly Hills, CA as part of her effort to raise awareness about healthcare and energy reform and to reconfirm her support for Greek issues.
The event was hosted by Mr. & Mrs. David Nahai. Mr. Nahai, the CEO and General Manager of the LA Department of Water and Power, the largest municipal utility in the country, has been a strong proponent of renewable energy in an effort to take California to the next level of clean power generation. Several members of the American Hellenic Council attended the event, including President Mike Galanakis, Mr. Aris Anagnos & Mr. Dinos Andrianos.

During the event, Ms. Titus expressed her backing for energy reform and pursuing renewable energy as a solution to our dependence on foreign oil and curtailment of emissions. She has a strong record in her state for pursuing aggressive renewable energy portfolio standards and successfully pushing legislation for net metering.

As one could expect, a hot topic at the event among attendees was healthcare reform. Ms. Titus repeatedly stressed her support for comprehensive healthcare reform, including supporting a public option and other proposals that liberal Democrats are backing. On Greek issues, she reiterated her unwavering support for the unification of Cyprus and the protection of the name and territory of Macedonia from unfounded claims by FYROM. Her voting patterns show that Ms. Titus not only talks the talk but also walks the walk.

In private discussions with some of our board members, Ms. Titus referred to her recent trip to Greece as President Obama’s special envoy to the opening ceremony of the New Acropolis Museum last June. She mentioned that she was taken aback by the country’s hospitality and impressed by the new museum.

The event coincided with the announcement of Mr. John Guedry, a former executive at City National Bank that he would be running on the Republican Ticket against Ms. Titus in the upcoming election. Mr. Guedry is a former bank executive from Nevada. Nevada has been suffering from one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country. When asked about the new opponent, Ms. Titus seemed confident that Nevadans will support her over someone who worked in the industry that is the cause for their woes.

Dina Titus is a first-term Member of the US House of Representatives from Nevada’s Third District but she carries decades of experience in public life and education under her belt. She grew up in a small community in Georgia where her Greek grandfather ran a restaurant. Growing up in a close-knit family, she was introduced to political discussions and community involvement. She went on to earn several degrees, including a Ph.D. from Florida State University. Then she went on to teach political science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for more than 30 years. Before being elected to the US House of Representatives in 2008, she had also served at the Nevada State Senate for 20 years concurrently to her teaching position.